Ill. sues village accused of using tainted water

[June 10, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- The state of Illinois is suing a Chicago suburb accused of drawing drinking water from a contaminated well for decades.

State officials discovered the well contained chemicals linked to cancer in the mid-1980s, but the village of Crestwood allegedly continued to draw water from it until late 2007. During that time, village officials told the state they were getting water from Lake Michigan. The lawsuit filed Tuesday by Illinois' attorney general claims Crestwood provided false information about the water to more than 11,000 residents and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. It seeks thousands of dollars in penalties. Attorney general spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler says it isn't clear why the village kept using the well. Crestwood Mayor Robert Stranczek's (STRAN'-zehk's) office issued a statement saying officials are "extremely disappointed" by the lawsuit. [Associated Press] Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.